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Last month, we compiled a few gift-worthy gadgets for Ars readers to grab for Mother's Day. Today, it's Dad's turn. With Father's Day on the horizon, we've once again revisited the many devices that have rolled through the Ars labs in recent months and picked out a list of favorites.

The following Father's Day gift ideas should placate the kind of tech-savvy Dad (or any parent, really) we'd expect to raise an Arsian. Feel free to nudge a loved one toward getting something if you're a father yourself. And if nothing below works, try to at least give your old man a call this weekend.

Note: Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.

Sonos One

If you think your dad could get into the smart speaker craze, the Sonos One is his best bet. It’s essentially a better-sounding Amazon Echo. It has the same Alexa digital assistant and can do virtually all of the same things—checking the weather, setting timers or reminders, reading the news, and, most importantly, starting and controlling music.

Alexa is Alexa at this point: it’s probably going to mess up from time to time (like every other voice assistant), but relatively speaking it’s smart enough to be useful. The privacy precautions we’ve noted before still apply, but the One does have a mute button if things ever get uncomfortable. If there are times where Dad just doesn’t want to talk to a machine at all, Sonos also has companion apps that make it easy enough to connect and control dozens of music services in one spot on a laptop or mobile device.

The Sonos One gained the ability to control Spotify through Alexa a few weeks after it came out, and it’ll garner AirPlay 2 support in July. The latter should make it particularly appealing for Apple users, as that update will let users beam any music from an iPhone or Mac straight to the Sonos—Apple Music and iTunes included. It’ll even add a modicum of Siri support. Sonos is promising Google Assistant support in the future, too.

Even before all that, the One is a strong value right now. It doesn’t sound quite as full as Apple’s HomePod or Google's Home Max, but it’s more than close enough for $150 less. With some tracks, it arguably sounds clearer. It's miles better than the Echo regardless and also a breeze to set up.

The One isn't without issues: it can't do Bluetooth or wired audio input, its mic array isn’t quite as strong at hearing commands as an Echo, and somehow it can't make a stereo pair with a Sonos Play:1. If your dad already has a speaker he likes, it's easier and cheaper to just buy an Amazon Echo Dot and add smarts that way. But if you look at it as a "first smart speaker," the One is the closest there is to a total package, currently.

Sonos One

Price: $199 at Sonos

Ars Technica may earn a commission on this sale.

Google Chromecast Audio

Google’s Chromecast Audio won’t be as useful if your dad doesn’t have non-smart audio gear, but if he does, it’s an effective and very affordable way to make it Sonos-like. Just plug the dongle into an older speaker or receiver (with a 3.5mm or optical audio port), and soon he can send music to that device from various streaming services.

Those services do not include music apps from Apple or Amazon, which is unfortunate, but Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Google Play Music, YouTube Music, and most other known names are covered. If your dad has an Android phone, he can send any audio from that device to a speaker connected to the dongle. If he happens to own a Google Home device, he could also play music through voice commands (though those aren’t immune to the occasional hiccup in translation).

Google’s app for controlling all the services and devices tied to a Chromecast Audio isn’t as tidy as the one Sonos offers, which can make this slightly more cumbersome to control. But the fact that one Chromecast Audio costs $35 goes a long way in making up for that. Provided your dad uses the right music services, the cost difference between hooking up a few of these to create a multiroom audio setup and buying in to multiple Sonos speakers should help you look past any extra friction. Since it streams over Wi-Fi—up to 24-bit/96kHz, which isn’t the highest-resolution audio but clear enough for most—it won't muddy up the audio itself, either.

Google Chromecast Audio

Price: $35 at B&H

Ars Technica may earn a commission on this sale.

Bose QuietComfort 35

The market for wireless noise-cancelling headphones has become surprisingly competitive over the past year, with Sony in particular making a serious run at Bose’s crown. But if you want your dad to have the best pure noise cancelling option possible, Bose’s QuietComfort 35 headphones are still on top.

They aren’t the best sounding headphones in this class: they boost the bass and treble more than Bose typically does, for instance. Like their predecessors, these may sound a bit too bland for people who seriously care about audio quality. They also leak sound at higher volumes. For most people, though, the QuietComfort 35 headphones should at least sound pleasant and inoffensive. The real reason to get them anyway is for their noise-cancelling quality: they’re simply more effective at shutting out noise in testing than any of their sonic peers. (Bose owns crucial patents in this field, so it makes sense.) A supremely comfortable design and 18-20 hours of battery life helps seal the deal.

The model linked below is the “Series I” version of the QuietComfort 35. A “Series II” version released last year sounds almost exactly the same, but it adds a dedicated Google Assistant button we don’t find essential. Those updated cans actually lose a pinch of noise-cancelling strength to our ears, too. For $20 less, the Series I is the better buy while still available.

You have options, though. If you think your dad would be OK trading some noise-cancelling strength for better sound, Sony’s WH-1000XM2 are great, albeit not as comfortable as the QC35. They also use occasionally finicky touch controls instead of physical buttons. And if your dad doesn’t want to go wireless at all, Bose’s QuietComfort 25 has the absolute strongest noise-cancelling available, but it will require him to carry an external battery pack.

This might not be as popular of a response in light of this being a gadget focused post, but why not just spend time with your father, do old activities you used to do together (throw a baseball around or whatever) and grab a drink? Experiences usually leave a longer lasting positive impression than 'things'.

This might not be as popular of a response in light of this being a gadget focused post, but why not just spend time with your father, do old activities you used to do together (throw a baseball around or whatever) and grab a drink? Experiences usually leave a longer lasting positive impression than 'things'.

This might not be as popular of a response in light of this being a gadget focused post, but why not just spend time with your father, do old activities you used to do together (throw a baseball around or whatever) and grab a drink? Experiences usually leave a longer lasting positive impression than 'things'.

Well, if you get a Raspberry Pi, you've got plenty of activities to do at the workbench. Even if its just installing a wireless camera in the birdhouse you're building.

Probably could do that with a Zero and a wifi dongle though (Zero W antennae sucks).

This might not be as popular of a response in light of this being a gadget focused post, but why not just spend time with your father, do old activities you used to do together (throw a baseball around or whatever) and grab a drink? Experiences usually leave a longer lasting positive impression than 'things'.

You can do both. No one is saying "buy these instead of spending quality time".

This might not be as popular of a response in light of this being a gadget focused post, but why not just spend time with your father, do old activities you used to do together (throw a baseball around or whatever) and grab a drink? Experiences usually leave a longer lasting positive impression than 'things'.

This might not be as popular of a response in light of this being a gadget focused post, but why not just spend time with your father, do old activities you used to do together (throw a baseball around or whatever) and grab a drink? Experiences usually leave a longer lasting positive impression than 'things'.

Hey, I like spending time with my kids. Being a father and seeing how my sons have grown into fine young men is one of the single most important (and rewarding!) things I have done with my life. That said, if they want to also buy me some gadgets I will never say no. I am a geek, after all!

I would suggest ISOtunes for a father that does yard work or wood working.If you have a "green" father, replacing his 2-cycle yard implements with "green" battery powered ones might get you some appreciation. If you have a deep pocket, there are even battery powered riding mowers (e.g. Ryobi 38"..).

"And if your dad doesn’t want to go wireless at all, Bose’s QuietComfort 25 has the absolute strongest noise-cancelling available, but it will require him to carry an external battery pack."

The QC25 takes a single AAA battery internal to the headphones (right ear cup), lasts 30ish hours, there's a spot for a spare in the case. Article makes it sound like you're lugging around a lithium proton pack.

This might not be as popular of a response in light of this being a gadget focused post, but why not just spend time with your father, do old activities you used to do together (throw a baseball around or whatever) and grab a drink? Experiences usually leave a longer lasting positive impression than 'things'.

Well, if you get a Raspberry Pi, you've got plenty of activities to do at the workbench. Even if its just installing a wireless camera in the birdhouse you're building.

The only confusing part about the Pi 3B+ in this article is the "still costs $35" line, only to be followed just below by the $49 listing..

This might not be as popular of a response in light of this being a gadget focused post, but why not just spend time with your father, do old activities you used to do together (throw a baseball around or whatever) and grab a drink? Experiences usually leave a longer lasting positive impression than 'things'.

Well, if you get a Raspberry Pi, you've got plenty of activities to do at the workbench. Even if its just installing a wireless camera in the birdhouse you're building.

The only confusing part about the Pi 3B+ in this article is the "still costs $35" line, only to be followed just below by the $49 listing..

just the Pi 3B is 35. this is a bundle.

Quote:

The bundle linked below includes a dedicated 2.4A power supply, which should keep the Pi running at its best, as well as a couple of heat sinks to keep the whole thing cool during more involved tasks.

The Amazon Music app added Chromecast support, so I think you should update that part of the guide. Before, I had to use bluetooth to my Vizio soundbar but now I can cast pretty easily. Get with the times!

Not trying to get all conspiracy theory here, but the one thing that always bugs me about these lists is that I can't help but feel like their construction is specifically skewed towards things that can be linked to sites that provide a commission to Ars if purchased. It could just be coincidental, but I've always been suspicious that it's not.

Not trying to get all conspiracy theory here, but the one thing that always bugs me about these lists is that I can't help but feel like their construction is specifically skewed towards things that can be linked to sites that provide a commission to Ars if purchased. It could just be coincidental, but I've always been suspicious that it's not.

Personally I'm all for them making money however they can. I'm an adult and capable of evaluating my own purchases... if I see a link to something that interests me here, I will research it independently, then come back and buy it through the Ars link to get them a percentage. Reviews etc. are a little more of a gray area, but curated lists like this? I personally see no problem. Just my two cents.

This might not be as popular of a response in light of this being a gadget focused post, but why not just spend time with your father, do old activities you used to do together (throw a baseball around or whatever) and grab a drink? Experiences usually leave a longer lasting positive impression than 'things'.

At minimum, go for something other than a trendy gadget like home assistant, quadcopter or Oculus. I like Crucial SSD's more than most, but I don't think I'd ever buy one as a gift. That's boring and forgettable, like when Mom bought you socks for Xmas.

Rather than a random selection of gadgets, maybe break it down by hobby and make a selection that way. "For the dad's who are into cooking, get this". Build/extend the hobbies he already has instead of buying him a security camera (unless he's the paranoid type that wants a home camera).

Not trying to get all conspiracy theory here, but the one thing that always bugs me about these lists is that I can't help but feel like their construction is specifically skewed towards things that can be linked to sites that provide a commission to Ars if purchased. It could just be coincidental, but I've always been suspicious that it's not.

oh i dont know, i think its ok, if they say so before hand.

Quote:

Note: Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.

This might not be as popular of a response in light of this being a gadget focused post, but why not just spend time with your father, do old activities you used to do together (throw a baseball around or whatever) and grab a drink? Experiences usually leave a longer lasting positive impression than 'things'.

Hey, I like spending time with my kids. Being a father and seeing how my sons have grown into fine young men is one of the single most important (and rewarding!) things I have done with my life. That said, if they want to also buy me some gadgets I will never say no. I am a geek, after all!

Heh...I use fathers day to tell my kids to leave me alone. I am a father every other day of the year, so Father's day is my day off.

About to send in my 5 month old G900 for warranty. Single left clicks are now registering as double clicks. Very annoying to say the least. It didn't take long searching to find others with the same issue. Always had a Logitech mouse, but may actually look elsewhere considering what I paid for this one.

For a daily commute on the bus or something similar, I would recommend the Sony headphones. They sound a bit better, are a bit more comfortable, and include a wire adapter so you can use multiple audio jack sizes (like your phone, or an airplane jack). BOSE headphones do not include this, and it is a travesty.

The BOSE headphones are vastly superior for long haul / air travel, for one reason: They do not turn off. The Sony headphones will, after ~ 5 minutes of non-use, turn off. Very annoying when travelling. You cannot disable the "feature", and the only workaround that I've found is the following: https://imgur.com/a/6Ndci. BOSE also have slightly better battery life.

In summation: Sony has an incredibly stupid feature that will turn off the headphones after 5 minutes, and that feature is the #1 reason to by BOSE.

Another warning on the G900. I'm about 2 weeks over my 2 year warranty and I'm having battery issues. It will drain in a day without hardly using it. When plugged in it will say it's charged in a matter of minutes and refuse to charge any more. Unplug it again and it will say 1-5%. Plug it back in and it will jump up to some seemingly random percentage. Logitech is hesitant to address battery/charging issues from what I've read. The battery cannot be changed without taking it apart (voiding warranty if it still has it). Recommend going with one that allows the battery to be replaced or a straight up wired mouse.

Okay, guys... Seriously, who's dad are you boning to sell this stuff to? Gift suggestions to one's WIFE for YOU?

Father's day, to me, is when the kids get something for the dads. The same for mother's day for the moms. I never got the notion of giving a mother's or father's day gift to a spouse (and neither has my wife, for that matter), so it may be a perspective thing. Back in the day, it was strictly kids to parents - at least in my home.

Since I'm the "kid" affected by this, the issue I have is that MY father just turned 90. He's still trying to figure out what a mouse is. Remote sessions via computer are pure magic to him. If it doesn't have gears he can take apart and put back together again, it's too high tech. He once made a living as a watch maker, if that's any indication of how "old school" he is.

Granted, I didn't mention my 80+ year old mother was overlooked by the mother's day article last month, but she's more hopelessly un-tech-savvy than my dad is. The point is, I'm really not seeing much for the "greatest generation" crowd in those suggestions. In fact, I'm not seeing much for the "baby boomer" generation, either.

What I'm seeing there are mostly products aimed at a 25-50 crowd.

And that's a problem which brings up a suggestion for Ars in general.

Tech is something people learn. They aren't born knowing this stuff. The older a person is, the more likely they are to NOT know this stuff, because they've come to the tech game late and tend to cling to old-school ways.

But tech has a LOT of benefit for the elderly, which was completely and totally overlooked in this article of suggestions. Granted, gifts are nice from anyone, and these toys are almost ok, but none of them are very appropriate for a non-tech-savvy elderly person who essentially needs plug and play functionality because they don't have a tech savvy offspring close enough to help them get set up. (The mouse would technically qualify, but it has WAY too many buttons on it.)

So, since Ars tends to be a bit "ageist" when it comes to what it writes about, I'd really like to see more articles addressing tech options and solutions (and even tech presents) geared primarily for the elderly. The fact is, the elderly are the fastest growing demographic in the nation today (globally as well in most places). Ars is always looking at the future, but seems to have a massive blind spot for the old people like me who will be populating that future.

I know you guys out there in your 25's-50's think you'll live forever, but take my word for it, tech will be a major benefit to your life as you get older in ways you can't imagine today. And that's why it's a problem here on Ars. They don't talk that much about tech for the elderly, so you're not being exposed to that subject matter or devices.

If Ars wants to expand its readership, it really does need to look beyond the 55 year old crowd - especially these days as the boomers are all above it now, and the greatest generation is sorely in need of what's out there.

I'll be calling my dad on father's day. We'll be using cell phones. His is a flip phone. Mine isn't. We don't text. He's barely proficient enough to use e-mail. But I've turned him on to some tech things that help him cope with life at nearly a century old, and he's always amazed at what tech can do to improve his life.

Nothing here will really help him and he has no use for any of it (a "smart speaker" isn't a solution for him, since none of them can call 911 - at least not yet). Toys aren't his thing. Practical stuff is. If it helps make his life easier, he's down with it, even if there's a small (emphasis on small) learning curve involved.

I know how the younger crowd loves to laugh at the older crowd, but I'm reminded of Bill Engvall who, in one of his routines, talks about the commercials he used to laugh at because they were about old people products, and now he takes them more seriously. I think Ars should start taking that crowd a lot more seriously than they do. Yes, commercialism focuses on the 25-50 demographic, but I'd like to think Ars speaks to all ages.

consider the Jaybird Run. Full disclosure: these things started out terrible, early reviews on the Web were not kind...

Airpods have become ubiquitous where I live.

Same. However, are AirPods ok for running? I've only seen a handful of people run with them, though I don't go to the gym so i have a small sample size.

Airpods wont even stay in my ears walking around my house, so there's no way they'd stay in while running for me. They haven't caught on where I live. I rock a pair of Jabra Elite t65's for running. They fit like a glove... an inverted one finger glove shaped like an ear canal.

Not trying to get all conspiracy theory here, but the one thing that always bugs me about these lists is that I can't help but feel like their construction is specifically skewed towards things that can be linked to sites that provide a commission to Ars if purchased. It could just be coincidental, but I've always been suspicious that it's not.

Personally I'm all for them making money however they can. I'm an adult and capable of evaluating my own purchases... if I see a link to something that interests me here, I will research it independently, then come back and buy it through the Ars link to get them a percentage. Reviews etc. are a little more of a gray area, but curated lists like this? I personally see no problem. Just my two cents.

You and Z1ggy are misunderstanding me, I think. It's not the affiliate links that I object to – I have no problem with them. What I was saying was that I find it a little odd that only items that are capable of having affiliate links seem to be listed as gift ideas. It strikes me as somewhat odd that gift ideas that don't have affiliate links aren't listed.

For instance, I can't help but wonder if the lack of an affiliate-link program from Apple caused the Jaybird headphones to be recommended instead of AirPods, even though they mention AirPods in the writeup.

And, to be honest, I'm really not particularly up in arms about it – it's just something that I've always found a little off-putting and kind of odd.

This might not be as popular of a response in light of this being a gadget focused post, but why not just spend time with your father, do old activities you used to do together (throw a baseball around or whatever) and grab a drink? Experiences usually leave a longer lasting positive impression than 'things'.

Whoah Mr. Serious.

I'm pretty sure these articles aren't meant as guides to life or blueprints for healthy familial relationships. They're meant for people considering what gifts to buy for their loved ones.

If someones buying their dad a chromecast and considers themselves absolved of any need to thereafter spend time with him, that's a personal problem they have to address, outside of websites like Ars.